


Old Memories Not Forgot

by cordeliadelayne



Category: Supernatural
Genre: Christmas, Christmas Presents, Fluff, Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-12-12
Updated: 2016-12-12
Packaged: 2018-09-08 00:16:55
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,042
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8822053
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/cordeliadelayne/pseuds/cordeliadelayne
Summary: Christmas gift buying is a chore Dean can do without.





	

**Author's Note:**

  * For [KimberlyFDR](https://archiveofourown.org/users/KimberlyFDR/gifts).



> Written as a Christmas present for the lovely kimberlyfdr who gave the prompt “surprise/heartfelt gift”. Set vaguely in the early seasons.

Dean was really beginning to regret not taking his gun shopping with him. Of course if he had at least three mall Santas would be dead by now and Sam would be getting all grumpy about him ruining Christmas, but frankly if you agreed to dress up in a red suit and shout “Ho, Ho, Ho” in the face of everyone unlucky enough to walk past, you deserved what you got.

After the fourth Santa had pressed a booklet of discounts for the local hairdressers into his hand he decided to head up to the top floor where there were fewer stores and fewer opportunities for him to punch someone.

He'd decided that, with only one day to go to Christmas, he needed to get Sam something. It was the sort of thing normal people did and occasionally Dean could play at normal.

The problem was he had no idea what Sam was into these days. Nor what he could find in one of the tackiest malls he'd ever been in.

Seriously, how many clothes shops for dogs did one town need?

Maybe he should have asked Bobby for suggestions, some book that would make Sam's face light up like the first time he saw snow or a real Christmas tree.

Or maybe he should give into the tackiness of the season and get Sam a novelty salt and pepper set in the shape of Mr and Mrs Claus, a mistletoe shaped belt buckle or a flashing Christmas tree that sang Jingle Bells on repeat.

Or maybe not.

Dean sighed. This was going to be a lot harder than he'd anticipated. Why wasn't Sam the kind of guy he could just palm off a case of beer to?

Finally Dean came across a stationery store. The shop front was displaying lots of different notebooks and photo albums. A thought occurred to Dean and he moved forward to look a little closer. A pretty shop assistant came out and smiled at him.

“Can I help you?”

Dean grinned in her direction. “What are you doing later?” he asked.

“Dinner with my boyfriend,” she replied, deadpan. “I'll be inside if you want to buy anything.”

Dean tried not to take it personally and followed her into the shop. He headed over to another display of books and found what he was looking for. It was just the sort of sentimental crap Sam liked.

“How much?” he asked, holding up the book he wanted to buy.

“Five bucks,” the shop assistant told him. “Seven if you want it gift wrapped.”

“No, I'll do it myself.”

“Do you need anything else? Sticky tape? Mistletoe?”

Dean grinned. “I'll do that myself too, thanks.”

The girl rolled her eyes and rang up his purchase. Dean handed over the money and headed out. With any luck he still had time to deal with the vampire nest and get back to the motel before Sam had any idea he'd been shopping.

* * * *

While Sam was in the shower, trying to get blood out of his hair, Dean was sitting on one of the motel beds with his newly purchased book in his hand. It had seemed like a really good idea in the shop, but now when it came down to it, he wasn't sure where to start.

It took him as long as Sam's disturbingly long shower for him to get the present sorted and wrapped in some of the shiny silver paper Sam had bought to wrap up Bobby's present. When Sam came out he was doing a pretty good job of feigning sleep and pretending that tomorrow wasn't Christmas.

* * * *

There hadn't been much reason to wake up early on Christmas Day for a long time, but Dean still found the anticipation of his gift giving making him restless and ended up going to the local McDonald's and getting them breakfast and coffee.

Sam was awake and dressed by the time Dean got back and staring at the wrapped present at the end of his bed.

“Is this from you?” he asked.

“No, Santa dropped it off, said he was sorry he missed you.”

“Ha bloody ha,” Sam replied. He eagerly grabbed the coffee out of Dean's hand and gulped half of it down.

“Well?” Dean asked. “Are you planning on opening it or not?”

“Hang on.” Sam went over to his bag and dug around in the bottom, pulling out a neatly wrapped present that even had a bow on it. Dean snorted but otherwise took it without comment.

Sam stared at Dean's present. “It's not going to explode,” Dean said.

Sam didn't look convinced but very carefully opened the present, not tearing the paper. Dean rolled his eyes but didn't say anything.

Sam stared at the notebook, confused. He looked at Dean but Dean just motioned for him to open it up. Carefully Sam did, slowly running his hand over the pages as he realised what it was.

“This is – everything you remember about Mom?” Sam asked, a suspicious wetness to his eyes

“Yeah. Just, stuff I've never told you. No big deal.”

Sam nodded and then tackled Dean into a hug before he had chance to move away.

“Thank you.”

“Yeah, yeah,” Dean said, patting Sam's shoulder once and counting to five when Sam finally let him go.

“You should open that,” Sam said, standing up and walking around the room as if he didn't know what to do with himself.

Dean opened his present, a pair of brand new hunting knives to replace the ones he'd lost to the vampire's nest.

“Thanks, Sam.”

Sam was still pacing a little anxiously.

“Sam?”

Sam sat down. “I just wish I knew her.”

“Yeah. Me too.”

Sam took up the notebook again and held it to his chest. Dean watched him, gave him a few minutes and then stood up.

“Come on, Sam, let's go find somewhere we can get a drink.”

“It's eight in the morning.”

“It's Christmas.”

“Yeah, okay,” Sam said. “I suppose it is.” He carefully hid the notebook in his bag and followed Dean out of the motel room.

Theirs might not be the typical Christmas, but Dean was glad he had his brother by his side this holiday, and every one to come.


End file.
